T'was the Night Before Christmas
by Antonymic
Summary: Ever read The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore? Well this is sorta based on it. So the Seigaku Pillars have a magical Christmas for themselves. TezuRyo The fic can be found on lj too from pillarchallenge.


_**Hey TezuRyo fans!!...or people just reading this for fun. Christmas comes with Ryoma's birthday...and Santa grants a story come true. Hope you like this. Oh and I don't own Tennis no Oujisama/Prince of Tennis.  
**_

The Seishun Gakuen Regulars (and their family) were at Echizen's house to celebrate both Christmas and their Ochibi's birthday. They finished Christmas dinner a little while ago and were just sitting in the living room, waiting for time to pass so they could open presents. The tall Christmas tree in the corner of the living room was covered with lights that shone onto the festively wrapped presents underneath decorated with ribbons and bows.

The Regulars were gathered around the couches, watching Echizen's matches at the Zenbei Open. While they couldn't have been there to support their Ochibi, watching it was just as well. Unfortunately their viewing time was cut short as one Echizen Nanjirou sauntered through the door, in modern clothes, and turned off the TV and the VCR. Behind him was Rinko and the other parents.

"What was that for oyaji?" whined Ryoma, glaring at his father petulantly.

He received a grin in return. "Don't tell me you forget brat. This year it's your turn to read a Christmas story, and I got just the one."

The others stared, wondering at the family tradition, as Nanjirou reappeared in the doorway. Clutched in his hands was a thin hardback book. "The Night Before Christmas, brat."

Everyone shifted in their seats or moved off the couches so the adults had a place to sit. Echizen sat next to Tezuka as a result with Fuji and Taka on the other side. The _chiisai_ oujisama caught the book as it was tossed to him and settled down to read.

"T'was the night before Christmas, when all through the house  
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;  
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,  
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;  
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,  
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,  
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,  
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,  
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,  
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.  
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow  
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,  
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,  
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,  
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,  
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick."

Everyone there smiled fondly as they remembered when they were little children waiting for Christmas Day to finally arrive so they could just get presents and if they were lucky, catch sight of the ever elusive St. Nick as he dropped off presents for the children.

As everyone was busy remembering and listening to Echizen read – he had a pretty soothing voice as he read, capturing their attention. No one noticed some presents appearing magically near the others, each wrapped differently.

The story ended with the sound of a bell as the timer in the kitchen went off, announcing that the cookies were finished and ready to be eaten, while they opened their presents.

As everyone was giving out and opening presents, Echizen was looking for his elusive buchou with a gift wrapped in his hand. He found him outside in the moonlight looking at the moon above the roof. Approaching Tezuka, he noticed how the light shone, illuminating him just like when he used _Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami_ during Nationals.

"Buchou," Echizen murmured. "What are you-"

Tezuka had waved him to be quiet, a finger touching his lips. Dropping his hand, he pulled Echizen towards him and moved him in front, arms around his shoulders. Leaning his head closer to Echizen's ear, he spoke, "Look at the roof, Echizen…and tell me what you see."

Puzzled and oddly warmed by Tezuka's nearness, Ryoma looked up at the roof. To his surprise, he saw what looked like hoof marks and sled tracks left on the semi-new snow from last night before a shadow passed over the snow. Curious, he looked up at the moon where he saw Tezuka look up at moments ago and saw far up in the sky, within the glowing sphere, a sleigh, eight reindeer, and what looked like a well bundled up man.

Ryoma looked up at Tezuka, then back to the sky as he heard a voice proclaim, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

The two looked up as Santa flew away on his sleigh way up in the sky. They looked at each other sharing a special moment, as they were the only ones to see this magical event. It seemed like a perfect spur-of-the-moment thing as Ryoma leaned up and captured his buchou's lips in a kiss and fell back just as the Regulars piled out of the house looking for the two.

"Merry Christmas Buchou," he said, with a smile just for him.

_**Thanks for reading. Any and all comments will be appreciated...save maybe flames. I'll be using them to warm up my room.  
**_


End file.
